The Marbella Gathering

The Marbella Gathering | Palamedes Challenge Cup - $1 million dollar backgammon competition

That's right folks. A backgammon tournament with one million dollars going to the winner.
NOTE: it's not a 1 mil prize pool - it's ONE MILLION DOLLARS going to first place.

A mere 10,000 Euro entry fee (but then again, Americans would get their VAT back making the real entry fee 8,621 euros).

Hurry, registration closes April 4. And there is a consolation round - winner of the consolation round gets $50k.

So let's look at the raw money involved:
you'll have to come up with 10,000 euros (then apply for and get back the tax). Plus travel to Marbella, Spain (not that that is a disadvantage). Plus hotel rooms starting at 250 euros +7% VAT.

You'll also need a tuxedo, gentlemen. The dinners are very swank.

One hell of a vacation.

But anyway. Let's look at the cost:
Games start the 14th of April (a thursday) and continue through Sunday. So let's say you somehow arrive on Thursday. 3 nights - 750 euros + VAT
Food - let's say another 100 Euros since the entry fee covers dinners. It's a swanky resort area, after all, and 100 euros for 6 meals is cheap even by Seattle standards. But still.
Another 500 Euros for side bets. Actually you'll probably want 1000 to be able to stay in the game. And there'll probably be 20 euro point chouettes going to keep things "interesting." But you can always beg out of those if you're good at glad-handing. British peers will be thick at this place anyway. It's hosted by Sir Dai Llewellyn, after all. So 500 for "light" gambling after hours. Especially if you get whacked in the first round. so 600 euros for incidentals, 750 for hotel, (+7% which you'll get back), puts you at about 1405 euros.

Plus 10,000 euros to even set foot in the place, let's not forget. So we'll call it an even 11500 Euros, just to keep things fair. (let's not forget airfare!)

OK so - how much is a freakin euro?
As I write this (after close on March 11) the Euro is going for $1.3416. Not including bank fees. But those are so piddling.

So that puts us at roughly $15,430. Not bad, really, seeing as how $13,416 of that is the entry fee. Which means if you win (I'd say they'll get about 50-55 people entering, maybe more), you'd clear over $980,000 (since there are additional bonuses for various wins I didn't get into, and you'll be getting back about $2k for the VAT once you return stateside) for three days work.

Not too shabby.

Now the only problem is making sure you kick enough ass to take that money.